June 9, 2026
Algae Alerts North and South; Drought Holds Across Central Florida
Blue-green algae alerts surface in Flagler County and on Lake Okeechobee as the regional drought drags into June
No new local tournament results landed inside the past two weeks. The last confirmed finish remains Jeremy Smith and Ben Smith's 28.71-pound Xtreme Bass Series win out of the May 30–31 event slate. The bigger news this week is water — algae alerts on both ends of the region and watering restrictions that aren't going anywhere.
On the Water
Lake Kissimmee and West Lake Toho have been giving up solid stringers of bass through late spring. Kissimmee holds 35,000 surface acres of largemouth, black crappie, bluegill, and panfish, and it's still the panfish lake worth the drive. Bluegill are taking redworms and nightcrawler chunks, and that bite has been excellent.
The schooling bite is picking up as surface temps climb. Topwater action usually follows once the bass finish the spawn, and Toho's mix of Kissimmee grass, lilypads, bulrush, and hydrilla edges has been holding fish.
For ramp access on Kissimmee, Camp Mack and Grape Hammock Fish Camp at the south end both run full-service marinas with fuel and bait. Watch your launch depths — drought has pulled levels down chain-wide.
Worth Knowing
Two blue-green algae alerts are active in the broader region. The Florida Department of Health in Flagler County issued a health alert for Haw Creek, the confluence at Dead Lake, and Crescent Lake, based on a water sample taken May 26. To the south, DOH–Palm Beach flagged blue-green algae at Lake Okeechobee's S352 structure on June 3, with sample testing underway.
Neither bloom is on our core Central Florida lakes, but the pattern is the one to watch: warm, sunny weather and nutrient-loaded water feed cyanobacteria. If a lake looks like someone spilled green paint into it, stay out and keep pets and kids out too. Some species produce toxins that cause skin rash and gastrointestinal trouble.
The drought is still running the show. St. Johns River Water Management District has most of Lake County under a Phase III Water Shortage Order. SWFWMD — covering Polk, Tampa, Clearwater, and the Gulf Coast — remains in Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage, holding lawn irrigation to one day per week through July 1, including homes on private wells.
Lower lake levels keep changing what a fixed dock can do. A wood dock that sat right last season can ride too high or too low after the next stretch of weather. MacDuff Marine, which has worked Florida waterfront for more than 15 years, points to the Winter Haven Chain, the Lakeland lakes, and the Lake Wales Ridge lakes all sitting at different levels right now.
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